Cover_Rebuilding West Africas Food Potential

6 Rebuilding West Africa’s food potential

Table 1 below compares the consumption patterns between the coastal and Sahelian countries. Given its

size and importance in the region, Nigeria is described separately.

B. Consumption patterns and the urban/rural market divide

Much of staple food production in the region is self-consumed, with two-thirds of production consumed

by rural households (ACI, 2011). Among the dry cereals, maize is a relatively more marketed crop, with

a ratio of 58/42 marketed to self-consumed production. Moreover, local rural population centres (as

opposed to large urban centres) are also increasingly sources of food market outlets for cereals, roots and

tubers, as large urban markets continue to lack sufficient market integration.

Urban markets represent a growing marketing outlet for local staple food, accounting for a sizeable share

of total consumption. Estimates for the major consumed products have been placed at 60 percent for

rice, 42 percent for maize, a minimum of 40 percent for roots and tubers, including cassava, 23 percent

for sorghum and 19 percent for millet. Among the cereals consumed in urban markets, rice has by far

the largest share; this share has been estimated at 76 percent in Burkina Faso, 92 percent in Côte d’Ivoire,

60 percent in Ghana and Senegal and 72 percent in Nigeria. For cassava, almost 50 percent of regional

production is consumed outside rural areas.

The expanding of urban markets represents a key driver for the growth of staple food value chains and for

local farming systems. In addition to urbanization and demographic patterns, another demand driver is the

emergence of a middle class more demanding of higher-quality food products and of safe food. This indicates

that there are potential value-generating outlets for local production if adequate marketing and processing

Table 1. Caloric consumption (in Kcal/day/inhabitant) in West Africa in 2003

Sahelian Coastal Nigeria

Cereals 1 684 934 1 253

Maize 191 307 179

Sorghum 374 64 362

Millet 604 36 294

Rice 372 441 284

Wheat 122 116 127

Starchy Roots 29 676 511

Cassava 15 371 249

Yams 4 231 204

Sweet Potato 7 11 37

Oilcrops 75 98 90

Groundnuts 69 66 39

Meat/Livestock 78 54 39

Beef 29 13 12

Poultry 12 15 4

Goats and Sheep 22 5 7

Source: Haggblade et al. (2012), retrieved from FAOSTAT Food Balance Sheets.